Why hoax?

Post #11,656 by Ashton 10/3/01 10:39:20 PM Reply	Why hoax? [link\|http://www.vvaf.org/about/kidd.shtml\|brief bio] Seems a rather sane, informed analysis to me. Of course others' actual experience could only help refine the many ways we might find next, to avoid the strong temptation to act like impatient vengeance-crazed assholes. What bothers me is - would rather hear simply that, some folk in DC had heeded some good advice from a 'certain Murican'. This in preference to seeing his rather specific hints now out there, for all to take into account.. {sigh} How do you indicate good ideas w/o ... making them thus, less effective? Still, interesting critique of their (and our) weaknesses - to read. Even if I'd rather not have heard.. A.
Post #11,679 by dmarker2 10/4/01 12:13:35 AM Reply	Re: no hoax - highly accurate & informative - heres more . I have an interview with a British SAS (Secret Air Services) soldier who went to Afghanistan 20 years ago to help the Mujahedeen in their war against USSR - he published a book called "Jihad: The secret war in Afghanistan" By Tom Carew (an alias) - here is the Amazon link to the book:- [link\|http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840183268/qid=1002167175/sr=2-1/104-8853006-4424736\|Jihad: The Secret War etc:] This interview appeared in today's South China Morning Post but as with other really good material, is not at their on-line site (for me to copy here). Anyway some key points this ex SAS guy makes include .... - That the Afghans are not good tactical fighters (this is a myth) - just able to endure incredible hardships and are fanatical - That the British Govt baulked at providing training in urban terrorism to the Mujahedeen (for security reasons) but the US CIA had no such worries & now these guerillas are using the very tactics the CIA taught them, on the US (he argues that the US didn't have a terrorist problem at home at that time & thus weren't concerned - The Afghans (as per the orinial item posted here) are very much glory seekers and more likely to abandon strategic positions in a battle just for the glory of joining the main assault - The Afghans are likely to continue inter-tribal warfare no matter who rules the country - The CIA knew that the Mujahedin were using opium to finance their war and silenced anyone who reported that it was happening - He says that it is next to impossible to infiltrate the mujahedeen - He argues that OBL is actually in Pakistan as Afghanistan is in such a mess from destroyed infrastructure & the drought, & that the only way OBL can keep in contact with how things are developing is by being hidden in Pakistan. He says it is inconcievable to him that OBL is in a mountain lair near Kandahar. He comments that one only has to look at how well presented OBL is to know he is not hiding in caves in Afghanistan (he (Carew) hid in caves etc: for some years) - He also says he had heard of OBL but only as a bit player in the war against USSR & any stories of OBL being a 'heroic fighter' don't stack up. He pointed out that even in newsclips, OBL is seen shooting a right-handed Kalashnikov left handed (OBL is left handed) & this meant that the spent cases were flying into his face and that anyone who had been in serious combat wouldn't do that - He makes the case that OBL was controlling propaganda to the many volunteers who went to Afghanistan to fight & that OBL is a misfit who lied to these people to convince them that US was really at war with Islam & if you hera this 20 times a day you start to believe it - He also says that the Taliban & Bin Laden are the same Cheers Doug Marker -
Post #11,689 by dmarker2 10/4/01 2:31:21 AM Reply	Re: correction - misquoted Carew re word fanatical ... He said that the mujahedeen he fought with were not fanatical (as I had quoted). He was with the Hezb-e-islami who belonged to a leader called Hekmatyar. His comment was that them men he fought with were not fanatics but faith always came 1st and foremost. He said he had a letter of into from Hekmatyar & that if he had ever fallen into the hands of some other tribes, that letter could have got him into deep trouble. Another quote was that usually when they went to prayer they would pile their weapons shoes & gear in one big heap. He taught them to keep each rifle, shoes & gear apart & close to their prayer mat so that if attacked they could quickly respond. They saw the logic in it so did it. Doug M
Post #11,724 by Simon_Jester 10/4/01 9:57:10 AM Reply	Why hoax? Because I'm not sure he actually wrote it. My source of this is, imo, unreliable. However, I liked the writing and found value in the analysis. So, I present it and discredit it. :-) If you can tie it back to the Kidd better, let me know. I got it in an email from a friend.

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